Interconnectable game elements

ABSTRACT

A hooking game and toy provided in the shape of a mock animal or figure containing one or more appendages extending outwardly therefrom permitting the device to be hooked and picked up by the end of a hook on a string or pole. In a preferred form of the invention, the device is rounded or arcuately shaped on its bottom and is so balanced to permit it to rock back and forth when urged by a light force applied thereto. Thus, when the device is played within a game requiring it to be hooked and picked up, it may be easily caused to rock back and forth from a motionless condition, thereby increasing the skill necessary to hook the device and adding to the play value. In a particular form, the device is in the shape of a mock fish having a hookshaped tail and a open mouth which may be hooked with another fish or a hook on the end of a line. In its simplest form the device may be formed of a single molding and comprises a hollow body is open on the bottom and concavely shaped upwardly permitting it to be formed in a simple two-piece mold or stamped between forming dies.

United States Patent [191 Lemelson INTERCONNECTABLE GAL [E ELEMENTS Jerome H. Lemelson, 85 Rector St., Metuchen, NJ. 08840 22 Filed: Jan. 24, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 220,346

[76] Inventor:

[52] US. Cl 273/1 R [51] Int. Cl. A63f 9/00 [58] Field of Search 273/1 R, 140

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,107,672 2/1938 Lang 273/140 X 420,149 l/l890 Elson 273/140 3,414,265 12/1968 Marks 273/1 R X D213,123 l/1969 Anderson 273/1 R UX 2,703,469 3/1955 Raizen 2733/] R X Primary ExaminerAnton O. Oechsle Assistant ExaminerPaul E. Shapiro [57] ABSTRACT A hooking game and toy provided in the shape of a Juli 3,807,731

[ Apr. 30, 1974 mock animal or figure containing one or more appendages extending outwardly therefrom permitting the device to be hooked and picked up by the end of a hook on a string or pole. In a preferred form of the invention, the device is rounded or arcuately shaped on its bottom and is so balanced to permit it to rock back and forth when urged by a light force applied thereto. Thus, when the device is played within a game requiring it to be hooked and picked up, it may be easily caused to rock back and forth from a motionless condition, thereby increasing the skill necessary to hook the device and adding to the play value.

I In a particular form, the device is in the shape of a mock fish having a hook-shaped tail and a open mouth which may be hooked with another fish or a hook on the end of a line. In its simplest form the device may be formed of a single molding and comprises a hollow body is open on the bottom and concavely shaped upwardly permitting it to be formed in a simple twopiece mold or stamped between forming dies.

2 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures 1 INTERCONNECTABLE GAIVIE ELEMENTS SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION rocked back and forth, adding to its play value, increasing the degree of skill necessary to play a game there-. with.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved toy shape in the form of a mock fish which is so configured as to permit it to be hooked in a plurality of ways rather realistically and without the exercise of a great degree of skill, thereby appealing to children of all ages.

Another object is to provide a simple design in a plastic mock toy fish which may be used in a fishing game and does not require the assembly of components.

Another object is to provide a mock toy fish whch is so configured as to permit it to be hooked in a plurality of manners either by means of a hook suspended on a line or by means of a second toy fish of similar configuration.

Another object is to provide a mock toy fish which is so configured as to permit it to rock or wobble when played with, as in its use in a game, so as to add to the realism, play value, and skill required to play the game.

With the above and such other objects in view as may hereinafter more fully appear, the invention consists of the novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a mock toy fish made in accordance with the teachings of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the fish of FIG. 1 showing further details of its construction.

There is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 a mock toy fish made of a unitary molding 11 and having a central body portion 12 having at one end thereof a head portion 13 and a tail portion 14 extending rearwardly from the other end thereof. The tail portion 14 has extending laterally from both sides thereof respective tail fins 15 and 16 which are hook-like formations configured to permit engagement with similar hook-like formations of a similar toy or in the mouth portion of said similar toy. The head portion 13 of the mock toy fish 10 contains a mouth portion '17 defined by a lower jaw portion 18 in the form of a loop just below the opening 19 between the jaw 18 and the head. The opening 19 is of such shape as to permit either of the hook-like tail fins l5 and 16 of a similar toy to be manipulated therethrough and to engage around the loop l8 of the jaw 17, so as to permit hooking or retaining the fish body 11 in a hanging attitude. 1

The body 11 is a hollow convex shape having a lower rim 20, which is curved upwardly,.will balance on a flat horizontal surface in such a manner as to retain the forward portion 22 of the rim and the rear portion 23 including the tail portion and the hook-like tail fins l5 and 16 to be retained sufficiently above the surface to permit either the mouth loop 18 or the tail fins l5 and 16 to be hooked so as to permit lifting of the body 11 off the surface on which it rests. Notations 24 and 25 refer to fin portions which extend laterally outwardly from the central portion of the lower rim of the body 11 and serve as rockers on which the body 11 may rest and rock back and forth when set in motion.

As stated, by maintaining the mouth portion 17 and the tail fins 15 and 16 a distance above the surface on which the body 1 1 rests by virtue of the shape and balance of said body, the toy may be more readily hooked and picked up to permit stringing of a plurality of said fish, one above the other, in the performance of a game to determine how many fish can be so hooked or the catching of a fish by means of a hook on a flexible line. However, if the figure toy 10 is arcuately shaped underneath as shown and balanced so that it will easily rock back and forth on a horizontal flat surface, the play valve and action experienced during attempts to hook the mouth or tail of the fish with such a hook on a flexible line may be greatly enhanced. For example, should a player strike either the mouth portion 22, head 13 or tail end 1 1 of the toy figure 10 while it is at reast on its balanced arcuate base without actually hooking same, the toy will be set in rocking movement thereby increasing the skill required to hook the figure and causing an action which is both interesting, amusing and attention getting.

It is noted that the toy may be configured other than as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and may be shaped to represent such animals as reptiles, porpoises, seals frogs and other animals.

I claim:

1. A game assembly defined by a plurality of individual playing pieces each in the shape of a figure having a centrally disposed main body portion, said figure defining a convex shell-like structure which is hollow and open at the bottom and has a lower rim which is smoothly curved upwardly both forwardly and rearwardly of the main body portion to permit rocking movement of said playing piece on said lower rim, a head portion extending forward of said main body portion and containing an open mouth portion defining a loop formation which is accessable from said open bottom of said shell-like structure, a tail portion extending rearwardly of said main body portion, said tail portion having a hook'like protrusion which is an extension of the lower rim of said main body portion, said hook-like protrusion being shaped such that, when one playing piece is properly manipulated, said hook-like protrusion may be projected through the open mouth portion of another playing piece to hook and permit the lifting of one piece by another.

2. A game piece in the shape of a mock animal having a centrally disposed main body portion which is shaped to define a convex shell like structure having a lower rim which is smoothly curved both forwardly and rearwardly of the main body portion and defining an arcuate support for said game piece on a surface, a tail portion connected to the rear of said main body portion and shaped with a plurality hook-like extension of said main body portion which protrude outwardly therefrom and at least one opening in the wall of said main body portion which is shapedto permit a hook-shaped tail portion of another similarly shaped playing piece to hook-assemble therewith, said main body portion and said hook-shaped extensions of said main body portion being weighted to permit said game piece to rock back and forth on its arcuately shaped bottom to permit said playing piece to be easily rocked back and forth when it is supported upright on a surface and suitable contact is made therewith during play therewith. 

1. A game assembly defined by a plurality of individual playing pieces each in the shape of a figure having a centrally disposed main body portion, said figure defining a convex shell-like structure which is hollow and open at the bottom and has a lower rim which is smoothly curved upwardly both forwardly and rearwardly of the main body portion to permit rocking movement of said playing piece on said lower rim, a head portion extending forward of said main body portion and containing an open mouth portion defining a loop formation which is accessable from said open bottom of said shell-like structure, a tail portion extending rearwardly of said main body portion, said tail portion having a hook-like protrusion which is an extension of the lower rim of said main body portion, said hook-like protrusion being shaped such that, when one playing piece is properly manipulated, said hook-like protrusion may be projected through the open mouth portion of another playing piece to hook and permit the lifting of one piece by another.
 2. A game piece in the shape of a mock animal having a centrally disposed main body portion which is shaped to define a convex shell like structure having a lower rim which is smoothly curved both forwardly and rearwardly of the main body portion and defining an arcuate support for said game piece on a surface, a tail portion connected to the rear of said main body portion and shaped with a plurality hook-like extension of said main body portion which protrude outwardly therefrom and at least one opening in The wall of said main body portion which is shaped to permit a hook-shaped tail portion of another similarly shaped playing piece to hook-assemble therewith, said main body portion and said hook-shaped extensions of said main body portion being weighted to permit said game piece to rock back and forth on its arcuately shaped bottom to permit said playing piece to be easily rocked back and forth when it is supported upright on a surface and suitable contact is made therewith during play therewith. 